ADA anniversary celebration returns to Park Circle July 23
July 16, 2026
In partnership with the City of Charleston and City of North Charleston, the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission (CCPRC) will once again present an event celebrating the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) being signed into law.
The ADA Anniversary Celebration, open to the public, will be held at the Park Circle Community Building (4800 Park Circle) in North Charleston on Thursday, July 23 from 4 – 6 p.m. Local news anchor and author Raphael James will host an informative panel discussion exploring quality of life through education, recreation and transportation. Participants will enjoy refreshments and vendor booths on site. Following the event, guests are invited to enjoy the Park Circle playground, the world’s largest inclusive playground. This event is free and all are welcome.
“The signing into law of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990 represented a long overdue step forward for people with disabilities throughout America,” said CCPRC Chief Operating Officer and ADA Coordinator Steve Hutton. “The ADA gives protections to people with disabilities similar to those provided to others on the basis of race, sex, national origin, age and religion.”
“It’s exciting to see accessibility grow throughout the Lowcountry as more organizations are improving their ADA compliance. CCPRC is proud to be a part of this celebration to honor the passage of this important civil rights legislation at one of the area’s newest and most thoughtfully designed facilities at Park Circle on July 23!”
About Moderator/Emcee Raphael James
Raphael James is an award-winning news anchor for WCSC’s Live 5 News. His nearly 30 years of journalism experience have afforded him unique opportunities from one-on-one interviews at the White House to reporting on the massacre at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston. He is happily married to his college sweetheart, Sarena, and they have two beautiful daughters Jaydn and Nia and a handsome son Grant. Raphael is also a first-time author. His memoir “I Don’t Want To Talk About It: A Journalist’s Essays on Autism, Dementia, Religion, and God” is a transparent, raw, and vulnerable look at his family’s journey through mental illness. It is available on his website RaphaelJames.com and can be purchased online anywhere books are sold.
Celebrating its 36th anniversary, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law on July 26, 1990. For more information on the ADA, please visit https://www.ada.gov/.
The Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission invites people with disabilities to experience their programs, services, trails and facilities to discover how the agency’s 11,000+ acres of parkland can enrich their lives. CCPRC strives to go beyond compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) to provide opportunities for recreation, physical and emotional well-being, and peaceful respite.
